Fruit slicing machine



June 20, 1933. KRUM r AL 1,914,860

FRUIT SLIC ING MACHINE Filed Feb. 28, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet l Ill iuw

A tlomey In veniorq June 20, 1933. H. KRUM ET AL 1,914,860

FRUIT SLICING MACHINE Fil edfeb. 28, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Allorney June 20, 1933. H. KRUM ET AL 1,914,860

FRUIT SLICING MACHINE Filed- Feb. 28, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor A llorney June 20, 1933. KRUM ET AL 1,914,860

FRUIT SLICING MACHINE Filed Feb. 28, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Q Inveniora A llomey Patented June 20, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFHE HENRY KRUM, GEORGE PREALL, AND JAMES HENRY CHAMBERS, OF FRESNO, GALI- FORN IA; SAID PREALL ASSIGNOR OF HIS ENTERE RIGHT TO SAID CHAMBERS FRUIT SLICING MACHINE Application filed February 28, 1931.

i This invention relates to an improved machine which is especially but not necessarily adapted for slicing fruit into relatively small fragments to expedite conditioning for the market.

The machine was primarily designed with a view'toward providing a practical structure for reducing figs to comparatively small pieces to expedite subsequent washing, inspection, and packaging for the commercial trade, and to thereby render the product more suitable for expeditious employment in bakeries and the like.

Briefly stated, the improved machine comprises a frame provided with a suitable delivery hopper beneath which is a rotary bladed slicing device and adjacent to which are pressing and feeding rollers to facilitate cutting of the fruit into small pieces for the aforesaid purposes.

The specific structural details and their relative arrangement and association thereof will become more readily apparent from the following description and drawings:

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an end view thereof observing the same in a direction from right to left in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a central vertical sectional view.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary end view of a portion of the framework.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of one of the knife spacers.

The frame comprises a casting including a pair of longitudinally spaced parallel perpendicular legs 6 whose upper portions are formed into extensions 7 having inturned bevelled supporting lugs 8 between which the hopper 9 is removably suspended.

Each leg structure is provided with a multiplicity of bearing retaining guides as shown in Figure 5. For instance, the numerals 1O designate duplicate outwardly diverging guides having removable U-shaped caps 11. The numeral 12 represents a hori- Serial No. 519,166.

zontal bifurcated guide having a removable end plate 13 detachably bolted in place as shown.

Carried by this plate 13 is a set screw 14 having a lock nut 15, said set screw serving to hold the bearing block 16 in place. Similar and smaller bearing blocks 17 are supported in the guides 10 and are resiliently sisipported by the expansion coiled springs 1 set bolts 11, and nuts 20. bearing In addition however, we provide 19 mounted on the adjacent caps held in adjusted position by lock These screws 19 bear against the blocks 17 We next call attention to Figure 4, wherein the rotating cutter 21 is shown in detail. This comprises a shaft 22 having its end portions 23 formed into trunnions journalled in the aforesaid bearing blocks 16.

Mounted on the threaded portions are retaining nuts 24 for end thrust washers 25 and assembled between these washers are the longitudinally spaced feather-edged cutting d iyscs 26 and the intervening spacing rings 2 On one trunnion 23 011 the left in Figure 4 is a power pulley 28, and on the opposite end is a propulsion gear 29. Located beneath the cutter is a removable collection receptacle or box 30 which receives the cuttings.

' lVe now call attention to Figure 3, wherein it will be seen that the numeral 31 designates a corrugated feeding roller which is designated as the upper roller. The nu- ,meral 32 indicates the lower roller and this preferably has a smooth surface.

The central core-forming shafts 33 of these rollers are mounted for rotation in the aforesaid spring supported bearing blocks 17 as shown in Figure 5. At the right hand end on these shafts are pinions 34 which are in synchronous mesh with the large driving gear 29. Thus, the rollers 31 and 32 are driven positively and rotate with the cutter.

The rollers 31 and 32 however travel in a reverse direction from that of the cutting discs. The rollers are resiliently supported by the springs 18 and are adjusted relative to the knives by the bolts 19.

The function of the rollers 31 and 32 is to force feed the fruit from the hopper into engagement with the cutting edges of the discs to prevent retrograde action of the fruit, whereby to subject it to the keen cutting action of the discs.

We also call attention to the means provided for cleaning thatis, clearing the accumulated fruit and deposit from the peripheral portion of the spacing rings 27. It will be observed for instance in Figure 3 that posts 35 are supported on the end frames and constructed to hold in place a removable polygonal horizontally disposed shaft 36.

This shaft constitutes a carrier for a multiplicity of scraping fingers 37 whose free end portions 38 are shaped to contact the relatively movable rings 27.

In practice, the hopper 9 is placed between the end frames, that is, directly between the supporting lugs 8 as shown in Figure 4, and is filled with ordinary fruit for example, figs.

The figs drop down on the rotating discs 26 of the rotary cutter 21 and are carried around in thedirection of the arrow indicated in Figure 3, being held in contact with the cutting edges of the discs by the positively driven simultaneously rotatable feed and crushing rollers 31 and 32.

These rollers operate in conjunction and successively to produce the desired pressing and cutting action and also to prevent retrograde displacement of the fruit by insuring continuous movement thereof. Then too, this co-operation of positively driven reversely acting rollers 31 and 32 in conjunction with the rotary cutter avoids clogging and provides for prompt and smooth severing.

The severed pieces of fruit drop by gravity down into the collection receptacle or box 30 and the particles which adhere to the periphery of the spacing rings 27 are scraped off by the fingers 37 to drop down into the same receptacle. Consequently all of the parts co-operate in coherent, mechanical relationship to accomplish the desired results in an expeditious and desirable manner.

It is thought that the description taken in connection with the drawings will enable a clear understanding of the invention to be had. Therefore, a more lengthy description is thought unnecessary.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that minor changes coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to if desired.

We claim: A slicing machine of the class described comprising a frame, a horizontally arranged shaft journalled in the frame, a plurality of spaced cutting disks carried by the shaft, a hopper supported in the frame and located above the disks for feeding material upon the disks, a longitudinally corrugated roller supported in the frame for rotary movement adjacent the discharge side of the hopper, for pressing the material upon the disks, a smooth cylindrical roller supported in the frame and located below the horizontal plane of the first roller for pressing material upon the disks, said rollers being located adjacent the disks, means for rotating the disk carrying shaft in a direction to carry the material from the hopper towards the corrugated roller, and means for rotating the corrugated roller and the smooth roller from the disk carrying shaft and in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the disk carrying shaft.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

HENRY KRUM.

GEORGE PREALL. JAMES HENRY CHAMBERS. 

